Machine Readable Passports

[swills9]

I see that to travel to the U.S (not that they seem to want anyone!) you need a machine readable passport to comply with the Visa Waiver Program, so what exactly does the 'Machine Readable Passport' tell them.... if anything!!

[henneth]

They'll just swipe it through like a bar code on a tin of beans at the supermarket, but although a bar code on a tin of beans gives the cashier the exact price, a machine readable passport gives American immigration the exact details of the biometric page on your passport and subsequent U.S. entry and exit dates.

[swills9]

Thanks for the info, so what info does this biometric page show? coz all the guysI work with don't have a clue, in fact I don't anyone who does know!

[henneth]

The page on your passport with your date and place of birth and photo identity is your bio-data/biometric page so that's what immigration can pick up instantly on file when they swipe your passport through their machine.

[dotjhawkes]

In Cuba they used the same system, (I think most countries are doing) but they spent ages reading the screen, and I came to the conclusion that they were googling the town of your birth and your name to see if u were on the most wanted list!

[dzug]

You are jumping the gun here. The UK doesn't have proper biometric passports yet - they are being introduced this year.

The machine readable bit is the <<<< and letters part at the bottom of the page with your photo.

They scan this in and it captures your data (country, name - you can read it all, nothing fancy) both more quickly and more accurately than typing it in. They can also see if you are on any WANTED list.

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/general_biometrics.asp

has details of what is going to happen. The photograph is already a crude biometric - more details will go on a chip.

[chazza]

I have had the biometric one since last year! The one with the <<<< >>> bit on it!

[dzug]

Lucky you Chazza. What nationality is it? Can't be UK coz they don't exist yet other than in UKPA test labs.

[swills9]

Thanks for all the answers been a great help